Looking back half a century
People's hospital
In the 1950s, Tsuen Wan rapidly transformed from a rural area into a major industrial hub, leading to a population surge and a severe shortage of local medical facilities. Residents had to travel all the way to Kowloon for medical treatment. In response, a group of public-spirited community leaders advocated for the construction of a hospital. Yip Tak-fan, the Chairman of the Tsuen Wan Trade Association, established the 'Organising Committee for the Founding of Yan Chai Hospital' in 1962, and Deacon Chiu Te-ken took over the helm following Yip's passing. The Board of Directors (the Board) of YCH was officially established in 1962 under the Yan Chai Hospital Ordinance and applied for land allocation from the government.
Charity fair and premiere for fundraising
The YCH Board organised various fundraising events to raise funds for building the hospital. Among them, the Charity Fair held in 1963 was the most prominent, featuring a Floating Colours parade, live band performances, fireworks, and a HK$1 charity raffle offering an apartment as the grand prize and a car as the second prize. The event attracted overwhelming public support. With contributions from the community and a government land grant, YCH opened in 1973.
Nurturing nursing talent
To train nursing professionals, the building of Yan Chai Hospital Chau Cheuk-ming School of Nursing was completed in 1989 under the '5Es' motto: Effectiveness, Ethics, Elegance, Efficiency, Economy. Since its establishment, the school has nurtured around 500 nurses, with all student trainees achieving a 100% pass rate in the public examinations of the Nursing Board (now known as Nursing Council of Hong Kong). Many graduates returned to serve YCH upon graduation, continuing to care for the Tsuen Wan community. As nursing education upgraded to degree-level, the school closed in 2003. But the graduates are still shining in the nursing industry.
Nursing uniforms designed by Eddie Lau
In 1994, YCH invited renowned fashion designer Eddie Lau to design a new set of nursing uniforms, breaking the traditional image of 'angels in white'. The new uniforms – both innovative and practical – used khaki and aquamarine as its main colour tones. In addition to a skirt suit, it introduced a pant suit option, and discarded nurse caps for greater mobility. This uniform gradually phased out after the HA tried to standardise working clothes since 2016.
